Edwin f



E. P. MINTER.

LUN H B0 No. 598,801. Patented Feb.8,-1898.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

E. F. MINTER. LUNGHBOX. No. 598f801. Patented Feb. 8, 1898.

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' accidental displacement'of the tongue in the -NIrEn 8in-rms 191 EDWIN EMINTEE, OE BLOOMING'ION, ILLINOIsg, AssIeNoE OE ONE-HALF To CAMERON o. POWELL, or SAME PLACE.l

LUNCH-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters `Pain-Ent No. 598,801, dated ebruary 8, 1898. Application liled fune 8, 1897. Serial No. 639,869. (No model.)

To all whom, .it may concern:

Beit known that I, EDWIN F. MINTER,a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lunch-Boxes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in lunch-boxes; and the object is'to provide a simple, convenient, and compact form of box for this purpose. Y

To this end the novelty consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the same reference characters indicate the same parts of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved lunch-box with the door open. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section ot' the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the sliding bolts for supporting the door. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the door-catch. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of one of the removable shelves.

1 represents a rectangular case, to the front edge of the bottom 2 of which is secured the longitudinally-hinged door 3, and 4 represents a staple fixed on the front of the door near its upper edge to engage the hasp 5, fixed on the top 6.

7 represents a spring-bolt fixed to the front of the door, and its tongue 8 is arranged to extend through said staple across the path of the ,hasp 5 to secure the latter on the staple. The bolt 7 is preferably formed of spring- Wire, and its tongue 8 is formed with a notch 10, which engages the staple to prevent the staple.

The' parallel side edges of the door 3 are formed with integral hollow cylindrical beads 11 l1, andthe outer ends of the bottom 2 are likewise provided with similar hollow beads 12 12, which, in addition to their office of stiffening the parts, also serve as a means of supporting the door in a horizontal position to serve as a tablewhen the box is being used. To accomplish this end, the beads 1l 1l on the ends of the door serve as guides for the cylindrical bolts 13 13, provided with buttons 14 14, which extend through guide-slots 15 15 e `the buttons 14 14 dropped inthe notches 16 16 in the beads, so as to retain the bolts in position when the door is vertical.

17 17 represent horizontal parallel cleats fixed in the end 18 of the box, and immediately above each cleat is a guide-strip 19, the space between the cleat and the strip forming a retaining-recess for the flanged edge 2O of the removable shelves 21 21. The opposite parallel ends of said shelves 21 21 are also formed with a flanged edge 22, which engages the similar cleats 23 23, xed on the vertical transverse partition 24, and corresponding strips 25 25 are fixed to the partition above the cleats to hold the flanged edge 22 of each shelf in place. Each of the removable shelves 21 is provided at its front edge with a projecting lip 26 for conveniently inserting and Withdrawing the same from the box, and the rear edge of each shelf is turned upward to form a guard 27, against which the contents of the shelf rest, so that when the shelf is withdrawn the guard 27 will carry the contents along with it. The partition 24 is removably held in place by the guide-rails 28 28, fixed in the top 6, and a corresponding rail 28', fixed in the bottom.

29 represents a horizontal shelf fixed between the partition 24 and the end wall 30, its contiguous end being held in place bythe guide-rails 31 31, fixed to the inside of the end 30. A

2 represents a removable liquid-receptacle for coffee, tea, milk, and the like, and it snugly fits the space between the end 30 and thel partition 24 and the shelf 29 and bottom 2, and it is provided with the usual screwcap 33 for conveniently filling and discharging its contents.

IOO

34 35 represent longitudinal alined bearingsleeves, which receive the opposite cylindrical ends 36 37 of the spring-wire bail 38, on which is centrally mounted the usual revolving handle 39. The end 36 of the bail 38 is provided With an enlarged head 40 to prevent its accidental withdrawal from the sleeve 34, while the opposite end 37 is arranged to have a limited longitudinal movement in its sleeve 35, so that the contiguous vertical portion 41 of the bail 38 will engage a recess 42 in a lateral arm 43, fixed on the top 6, so as to conveniently retain the bail in a vertical position when the box is in use. The tension of the spring-bail is exerted to hold it in said recess 42 in the arm 43 5 but when desired the bail may be sprung out of said recess, so as to fold down as occasion requires.

44 represents the usual cylindrical flange fixed on the outside of the top 6, which engages the removable drinking-cup 45.

Although I have specifically described the construction and relative arrangement of the several elements of my invention, I do not desire to be confined to the same, as such changes or modifications may be made as clearly fall within the scope of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s-

1. A lunch-box 1, provided with a horizontally-hinged door 2, and a hinged hasp 5, a staple 4 adapted to engage said hasp, and a spring-bolt 7 provided with a notch 10, adapted to engage said staple, substantially as shown and described.

2. A lunch-box 1 having its bottom side edges provided with hollow beads 12 12, in combination with the horizontally hinged door 3 provided with the beads 11 11, having longitudinal guide-slots 15 15 and retainingnotches 16 16, the sliding bolts 13 13, mounted in said beads and provided with the buttons 14 14, substantially as shown and described.

3. A lunch-box 1, provided with the horizontally-hinged door 2, the fixed cleats 17, the guide-strips 19, and the removable partition 24 provided with the cleats 23 and strips 25, in combination with the removable shelves 21, formed with the integral flanged edges 22 22, and the vertical guards 27, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN F. MINTER.

Witnesses:

BENJ. G. Cown, CLARENCE I-I. MAYER. 

